The invention relates to a method of generating energy, more particularly electrical energy, from differing water levels, wherein a container resting upon a float is filled from the upper water level through inwardly opening side flaps while descending, and is drained through outlet openings while being lifted.
A container has become known through French Pat. No. 997,241, which rests upon a float and is provided with inwardly opening side flaps. This container is filled with water through waves through inwardly opening side flaps. The water thus captured in the container serves to drive turbines on the bottom of the container. This mode of operation is particularly disclosed at page 3, left-hand column of French Pat. No. 997,241. This patent describes, among other things, that the container goes down under the weight of the captured water. Because of this descent of the container, it becomes possible for the waves rushing into the inwardly opening side flaps to feed more water to the interior of the container, thereby increasing the amount of water being drained by means of turbines. The draining of this container is an inevitable result of a lifting operation.
By means of this apparatus disclosed in French Pat. No. 997,241, it is possible to generate energy through the use of the turbines. However, the filling height that can be utilized, that is to say, the pressure of the water being carried on the turbines, is limited by the height of the waves rushing into the inwardly opening side flaps. Furthermore, it is not possible with the above apparatus to generate energy from two constantly differing water levels.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method as well as an apparatus permitting the use of the energy of waves having a small height or of two constantly differing water levels having a very small difference in height.
For this purpose, instead of the turbines described in French Pat. No. 997,241, only one or more draining cross sections are pinpointed and cleared when the container has reached a desired (e.g., maximum) filling level. The rising and descending movement of the container may, for example, be converted into a continuous rotary movement by means of a connecting rod and crankshaft.
According to the invention, the problem is solved by filling through variable side flaps a container of any size mounted on a float fixedly connected with the container. Due to the increasing water volume, the container descends with the float to a certain filling volume.
This linear descending movement is converted into a rotary movement by means of suitable transmission devices, such as gears, and can be used to generate power.
When the container has reached a maximum filling level, e.g. the lowest point of descent, a draining section is cleared by the filling flaps described above or by additionally arranged draining flaps.
Due to the buoyancy of the float located under the container, the latter moves upwards again. This movement, too, can be used to generate energy.
Differences between the water levels have already been utilized by means of water wheels or water turbines, but relatively great water level differences are needed here.
One of the advantages achieved by the invention lies in the fact that maximum energy utilization can be achieved even with small water level differences, because according to the invention the container can also be filled through the variable flaps with a small feeding height, while by closing the flaps and lowering the container a filling level of any height and only limited by the height of the container and, thereby, a correspondingly high height of lift can be achieved. Thus, with the method and apparatus according to the invention, a height of lift can be achieved which is independent of the difference in water levels to be utilized.
A continuously adjustable energy generation can be achieved by joining in parallel or arranging in series a plurality of containers. The buoyancy of the float on which the container rests can be so selected that the lower edge of the empty container lies a certain distance x above the lower water level.
The upper end of the container embodying the principles of the invention may also be provided with an auxiliary container separated therefrom. This auxiliary container has at the bottom a laterally arranged closable outlet opening. This auxiliary container can be filled independently of the container itself from an upper water level, e.g., from a pumped storage container as in a pump-fed power station. In this way, it is possible to use a higher water level to generate energy, in addition to the small water level differences between a lower water level and an upper water level.
The method according to the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures, wherein: